While idly scanning the Internet I came across a new comet which might reach magnitude 7.5 in a few months. It was discovered by one of the acronymed search programmes: this one called ASAS-SN (or "Assassin) consisting of two separate units called (rather amusingly) "Brutus" and "Cassius". ASAS-SN is an acronym for "All sky Automatic Survey for Supernovae", and Comet is called C/2017 O1, regards maf

Right!Named ASASSN1, official name C/2017 O1.Some estimates worldwide give 10.0-10.5, it is now a real morning comet, before the twilight still low, now 25 degrees, but climbing! In October reaching zenith (!) and probably mag. 8.

Sunday 17th Sept. 2017; 0200-0215 BST. From back garden, using Acuter 65mm with 20mm ep.= x19 , then 12.5mm ep. =x30 . Conditions were good, with no moonlight. Found the various 8.5 to 9.7 magnitude field-stars shown on map 78 of Uranometria, but was unable to see this comet (C/2017 O1 Asassn) even as just a faint star. regards maf.

Thank you, Robin, for you posting, indeed, as you said, "it doesn't look as though it will be a binocular object just yet!". All the recent "so-called bright binocular" comets have been very hard to see in small optics. regards maf

Thanks, Robin, I needed your luck. beautifully clear skies (pity about the moonlight and low elevation), but could I find it? Nice images you've captured, by the way.

First of all, I scanned in my 9x63 binos. I then used the 14" Dob, normally a satisfactory tool for even small, mag 10 comets. But no, after about half an hour, I decided to look for something more interesting!

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